Abrams returns to leadoff spot, DeJong to have nose surgery

CJ Abrams was all smiles, bouncing around the Nationals clubhouse this afternoon as he prepared to play his first big league game in nearly two weeks.

“It feels good to be back,” the 24-year-old shortstop said. “The boys have been battling, and I’m ready to get in there with them and win some games.”

Officially activated off the 10-day injured list this afternoon, Abrams returns after missing time with a right hip flexor strain, confident that ailment (which he briefly tried to play through before going on the IL) will no longer be a factor.

“No pain. Nothing at all,” he said. “Running, swinging, anything. Everything is 100 percent.”

Abrams played in two rehab games with Double-A Harrisburg, going 0-for-4 with two walks and a sacrifice fly. He played six innings at shortstop Tuesday night, then all nine innings there Wednesday afternoon, emerging from the stint feeling healthy and ready to return.

The Nationals could have waited a day to activate Abrams, giving him a chance to work out with his teammates today and make sure he was good to go before returning Friday night for the opener of a four-game series with the Mets. But they felt there was no risk to activating him now, so he’s back in the lineup, leading off tonight against the Orioles.

The decision to return Abrams to the leadoff spot despite James Wood’s dominance (four homers in seven games) there over the last week-plus was a no-brainer for Davey Martinez.

“I really didn’t have to sleep on it much,” the manager said. “He’s our leadoff guy. Having somebody on base for those guys behind him, that’s going to be the key. Plus what he does up there. When he gets on base, he can make things happen, steal some bases for us.”

Abrams was off to a good start to his season before getting hurt, producing a 1.023 OPS over his first seven games, though he endured through a mini-slump over his final four games on the active roster.

Regardless, his track record as leadoff hitter since July 2023 – he has a .774 OPS, higher than he has produced at any spot in the lineup – ensured he would return to the top of the batting order. Wood will bat third tonight, behind Abrams and Alex Call, who gets the start in right field against Baltimore left-hander Cade Povich.

“I think right now, unless he does something drastic that tells me he can’t do it, he’s done it,” Martinez said of Abrams’ value in the leadoff spot. “He’s done it very well. He feeds off it. He wants to be the guy that gets us going. I think if I do start moving him all over the place, it will deter what we’re trying to accomplish with him. And again, he was an All-Star leading off. We’re glad he’s back. We’re glad he’s leading off.”

When the Nationals placed Abrams on the IL, they called up Nasim Nuñez to take his place not only on the roster but at shortstop. Nuñez performed exceptionally well in the field, but went just 4-for-28 with three walks and seven strikeouts at the plate.

When it came time to demote someone today to clear a roster spot for Abrams, though, Nuñez remained. Instead, it was fellow infielder Trey Lipscomb who was optioned back to Triple-A Rochester after going 2-for-4 with a couple of infield singles in extremely limited playing time over the last week.

The justification for keeping Nuñez, who opened the year at Triple-A because club officials wanted to make sure he got consistent playing time after sitting on the bench last season as a Rule 5 Draft pick, in the majors even with Abrams back?

“For right now, we felt like with CJ having issues, it would be nice to keep him here,” Martinez said. “Send Trey down there and let him play, get at-bats. Trey’s going to go down there and play every position. … He’s still developing.”

Nuñez will take grounders at both second and third bases now, according to Martinez, increasing his defensive value while he’s in the big leagues.

* Paul DeJong visited an eye specialist today who found no significant issues after the veteran third baseman was hit in the face by a pitch last week.

DeJong, who went on the 10-day IL with a fractured nose, also was dealing with a swollen left eye that created some vision problems for him. Doctors wanted to wait for the swelling to go down before he could have the eye examined. The good news: That exam showed no cause for concern, and DeJong’s vision has since improved.

DeJong will now undergo surgery to repair his nose fracture. Martinez didn’t have a timetable for his eventual return.

“I sure don’t,” the manager said. “But his spirits were high today, because he got good news about the eye.”